AT ILLINOIS
2011 - Senior: Notched her third career All-America accolade, the second most in school history, after earning second-team honors on floor by tying for sixth at the NCAA Championships ... Became the first gymnast in school history to compete at nationals all four years ... First-team All-Big Ten selection for the third time in her career ... Broke the Illinois all-time event titles record on Senior Day, surpassing Olympian Nancy Thies' old mark of 58, and finished with 62 career crowns, including a team-high 20 titles this season (VT-2, UB-1, BB-4, FX-6, AA-7) ... Reset the Illinois all-around record with a 39.550 at the State of Illinois Classic, breaking her old mark of 39.525 and tallied three of the top-five all-around scores in school history ... Tied her own school record on beam with a 9.950 at the State of Illinois Classic ... Posted three top-five finishes at the Big Ten Championships (VT-4th, UB-3rd, FX-4th) ... Competed in the all-around at every single meet, scoring over a 39 nine times, and hit 52-of-56 routines ... Was twice named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week (Jan. 24 & March 14) ... Named teams's Most Outstanding Gymnast along with Melissa Fernandez ... Second-team Academic All-District, Academic All-Big Ten and Scholastic All-American selection.
2010 - Junior: Earned first-team All-America honors on vault at the NCAA Championships, tying for third with a 9.900 during the afternoon session of team prelims ... Became the first two-time All-American in school history and just the second Illini to garner first-team honors and advance to individual event finals, where she turned in a 9.5063 and placed 16th ... First-team All-Big Ten selection ... Set a season-high all-around score with a 39.525 against Penn State, which ranks second all-time ... Led the team with 15 individual titles (VT-7, UB-2, FX-2, AA-4) and 36 top-3 finishes ... Competed in the all-around in 14 meets, topping the 39-mark eight times ... Named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week (Jan. 18) after triangular meet at Nebraska ... Second-team Academic All-District, Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, Academic All-Big Ten and Scholastic All-American selection ... Earned the team's Scholar-Athlete Award.
2009 - Sophomore: Finished 19th in the all-around (39.300) and 21st on beam (9.850) at the NCAA Championships ... West Regional Beam Champion with a school record tying 9.950, just the third Illini in school history to win a Regional event title ... Also finished runner-up on vault at the West Regional with a career-high tying 9.900 ... Scored a season-high 39.425 in the all-around to take fourth at the West Regional, the third best all-around score in Illinois history ... Named second-team All-Big Ten ... Tied career-high 9.925 on floor at the Big Ten Championships to finish fourth ... Won back-to-back beam titles againt UIC and at the State of Illinois Classic with 9.925s ... Had eight individual titles in 2009 and 27 in her career through two seasons, placing her sixth on the UI all-time list ... Hit 44 of 48 routines, including 12-of-12 on floor ... Set or tied career-high in all four events ... Academic All-Big Ten and Scholastic All-American selection.
2008 - Freshman: Second-team All-American on the balance beam, Illinois' first All-American since Nancy Thies in 1976 (AIAW) ... Named South Central Regional Gymnast of the Year, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten ... Named the UI Female Newcomer of the Year among all sports at the annual UI Scholar-Athlete banquet ... Scored a 9.825 on beam at the NCAA Championships to finish 14th overall and tied for sixth in her session to earn All-America honors ... Earned a trip to the NCAA Championships by finishing third in the all-around at the South Central Regioinal meet (39.100) ... Had four top-10 finishes at the Big Ten Championships (second on beam, fourth on vault, fourth in the all-around, seventh on floor) ... Had 19 individual titles on the season, the third-highest total in school history ... Had three of the top-five all-around scores in school history with scores of 39.450, 39.375 and 39.350 ... Named Big Ten Gymnast of the Week on March 19 after posting the second-best all-around score (39.450) and tying the second-best beam score (9.925) in school history en route to winning four individual titles (vault, beam, floor, all-around) at Illinois-Chicago ... Finished the regular season in the national top 50 on four events (21st on floor, 28th in the all-around, 36th on beam, and 46th on vault) ... Competed all-around in every meet ... Named the team's Most Outstanding Gymnast and Most Consistent Beam performer.
High School/Club: Won four events at the 2007 NHSGA National High School All-Around Championships, taking gold in the all-around, as well as on vault, beam and floor, while also finishing second on bars ... Finished second on floor and fourth on beam and in the all-around at the 2007 USAG Illinois State Meet ... Qualified for the 2006 Junior Olympic Nationals, placing 10th on vault, seventh on beam and 29th in the all-around ... 2006 Level 10 Region V Floor Champion ... 2006 high school team finished first at state, and was the first gymnast to win five individual events, plus the team title at Illinois High School State Championships ... Currently holds individual school records on vault, bars, beam, floor and all-around ... Coached by mother Jackie Buckley as well as John Condon, Vern Gumila, Angela Marcu and Michelle Strachn ... Club team was Gymkhana Gymnastics.
Personal: Born Sept. 22, 1988 ... Daughter of Mike and Jackie Buckley ... Says she chose Illinois because "I felt the most comfortable at Illinois. I loved the area, the team, and the school." ... Older sister, Jamie was a member of the University of Illinois-Chicago gymnastics team ... Member of the National Honor Society in high school ... Majoring in kinesiology.
Allison's Career Highs
Vault: 9.900 (8x, last 4/22/10)
Bars: 9.850 (9x, last 4/2/11)
Beam: 9.950 (twice, last 3/12/11)*
Floor: 9.925 (6x, last 3/12/11)
All-Around: 39.550 (3/12/11)*
*Illinois school record
Individual Titles
Vault: 15
Bars: 2
Beam: 11
Floor: 16
All-Around: 18
Total: 62
The Buckley File
Nickname: Al
I chose Illinois because: Illinois Gymnastics is like a family and because of Illinois excellent academics
Favorite place on campus: Green Street because everything is there
Best memory as an Illini: Making it to NCAA Championships in 2009 as a team for the first time in school history
Being a Fighting Illini means: Being part of a family
Funniest teammate: Jaclyn
Best dressed teammate: Hannah always looks good
Secret talent of one of my teammates: Sam is really good at doing impressions of animals
Pre-meet superstitions: Always stretching next to Mel
Favorite event: Beam
Favorite athlete: Dustin Byfuglien (Atlanta Thrashers)
Favorite Illini athlete: Chad Wiest (Men's Gymnastics)
Favorite sports team: All Chicago teams except the White Sox
Favorite movie: Inception
Favorite movie quote: "If you're not first, you're last." - Ricky Bobby
Favorite TV show: Top Chef
Favorite book: Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas
Favorite food: Pepperoni pizza
Favorite restaurant: Olive Garden
Favorite band: Rascal Flatts
Unique or quirky habit: Cracking my elbow
Actress I would want to play me in a movie about my life: Jennifer Aniston
Super power I would most like to have: To fly
Best thing I cook in the kitchen: Chicken
If I was on a reality show it would be: The Challenge
Best playlist on my iPod: Rascal Flatts
If I wasn't a gymnast, I would play: Soccer
One thing I can't go a day without: My phone
One thing I've always dreamt about doing: Sky diving
Three words that describe me are: Dedicated, stubborn, competitive
Career Plans: Grad School with a major in Sport Management
Updated April 2011
